


The Waiting Game

by LifeInWentworth



Category: Wentworth - Fandom
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-01
Updated: 2013-11-01
Packaged: 2017-12-31 04:05:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1027040
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LifeInWentworth/pseuds/LifeInWentworth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Vera confronts Franky about her inappropriate behavior towards the governor making her doubt her relationship with Erica.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Waiting Game

Vera was tired of not being listened to; she’d given up mentioning Franky Doyle’s inappropriate behaviour to the governor, she never listened. Just like her mother; expected Vera to do all the running around for none of the credit or respect she deserved. But Franky was only getting worse and the governor was letting her. That confounded Vera; she couldn’t figure out if the governor, who always came off as a strong, opinionated woman was just being naïve or if maybe, just maybe she liked the attention she was getting from the prisoner. It wasn’t the first time that she’d seen the prisoner actually reach out to the governor, trying to or sometimes actually touching her hand; of course, Erica always pulled away as soon as there was contact but in reality, she should have assigned someone else to tutor Franky a long time ago. The flirting, the looks, that stupid smirk, now the inappropriate contact, how far would Erica let this run? Who knew what happened when the two were in her office, behind closed doors instead of out here in the library where everybody could see them? Well, Vera was sick of being a passive bystander. 

Franky watched Erica walk away with a smile on her face. She knew she was being too forward out in the open, but she couldn’t help herself when she was around Erica, she just wanted to talk to her, touch her, kiss her like that time in her office. Erica wanted it too, she just had better constraint than the prisoner, she communicated with her eyes and those lips that curled into a smile every time Franky said anything flirtatious or sweet. She sighed as Vera approached, back to the unit for the night.  
“You know Miss Davidson is risking her job for you,” Vera said quietly as she walked beside the prisoner.  
“Don’t know what you’re talking about,” Franky answered back casually.  
“She is an authority figure and you should respect her, not use as her your petty entertainment,” Vera said, almost viciously.  
Franky frowned; where the hell was this coming from? Vera was usually so timid, “I do respect her,” she answered truthfully.  
Vera scoffed, “It certainly doesn’t show.”  
Franky stopped and looked at Vera, “Look, I think if the governor has an issue with me, she’d probably bring it up herself, don’t you?”  
“No, I don’t. God knows why but she has some kind of soft spot for you and won’t draw the line with you,” Vera took a step closer to the prisoner, making a somewhat futile attempt at being intimidating, “But the line is this; there is a boundary you don’t cross when it comes to officers and the governor. You show respect, none of this first name basis and this completely inappropriate innuendo you’re always throwing around. You think because you have standing with the prisoners, you have it with everyone else too, well that’s just not on. There is a hierarchy for a reason. You can’t play this these stupid games with the authority of this prison. If you continue this behaviour, I will take it to a higher level.”  
“There’s nothing to take to the higher level,” Franky said coldly, trying not to panic.  
“Oh bullshit,” Vera said uncharacteristically, “This could cost Miss Davidson her job, is that what you’re trying to do?”  
That pissed Franky off, as if, Erica was the only one she really did care about, she shrugged.  
“It’s a terrible way to repay someone who’s tried to help you so much, don’t you think?”   
Franky almost snapped back, but what could she say? She cast one last withering look at Vera before she retreated to her cell.  
Franky lay on her back lost in her thoughts. What was she doing? Erica was the only person who had ever really seen past the front she put on, seen through her. The one who had given her a chance. She’d helped Franky get her hsc, given her all the motivation and the belief she needed to actually start achieving things. And what, she was going to repay her by making her lose not just her job, but her whole career? How did that even make sense? Fuck, she swore to herself. She’d let Vera get inside her head, but now that she’d started thinking about it, she couldn’t stop.

“You’re quiet,” Erica observed, watching Franky closely.  
Franky looked up from her study, shrugging, “Lots to learn.”  
Erica frowned, “What’s going on, Franky?”  
Franky put her pen down saying quietly, “What are we doing, Erica?”  
Erica knew the question had nothing to do with the study they were meant to be doing, she sighed and put her own pen down, “What do you mean?”  
“I never wanted to get you into trouble or to cost you your career,” Franky admitted, “You love this job and here I am selfishly making you risk it? It’s not fair.”  
“Where has this come from?” Erica frowned; as if Franky hadn’t known all of this before, why was it suddenly coming up now?  
Franky broke eye contact with the governor, “Just something someone said,” she shrugged again.  
“Well, why don’t you just let me make that decision? It’s my career and it’s my choice, right?”  
Franky bit the inside of her lip, “Not if I walk away,” she said softly.  
“Bullshit,” Erica exclaimed, then regained herself looking around the library before leaning in closer, “If you walk away, you think this will just end? You know it’s not that simple, Franky. I know this is complicated, but we both said we were in.”  
“I want to do what’s best for you. I’m sick of being selfish,” Franky admitted.  
“I’m the one in a power position here, Franky. Don’t you think by now, after all this crap with my engagement then breaking it off, that I know what I want? What’s best for me?” she wanted to take the prisoner’s hand and squeeze it but she didn’t, she just looked her in the eye, “Just trust me on this, I’m still in this. We just have to have patience and everything will work out, I believe that.”  
“I’d never forgive myself if you helped me build with all this education stuff…and everything else, and then I cost you – “  
“Franky,” Erica said sternly, “Listen to me. I want to help you, I will help you. I want to be with you and I will be with you. We just have to be a little more discreet, okay? But you will be out in a little over a year and then no more hiding.”  
Franky nodded, “No more hiding,” a year seemed like a long time but not that long at all if it meant being with Erica. Franky could never shake those feelings of guilt but somehow she did manage to tone down the flirting, at least when they were anywhere but Erica’s office, then they could flirt as much as they’d like as long as it ended with Erica giving her a good stern talking to about whatever trouble Franky was in there for in the first place. Time crawled along, but they had made a promise to one another and they kept it; a key to Erica’s house somehow turning up in the belongings Franky was given back to her from when she was first arrived, upon her release from Wentworth.


End file.
